Love, The Foundation of Marriage
In his message, Stephen emphasizes that love is the foundation of marriage, drawing parallels between human relationships and the divine union between Christ and the Church. He references Ephesians 5, highlighting the roles of husbands and wives, where husbands are called to love their wives as Christ loves the Church, and wives are to submit to their husbands. Stephen explains that true love is a transformative process, moving from self-centered affection to a selfless, divine love. He uses the Song of Songs to illustrate the journey of love, where the Virgin's love matures from selfishness to a Christ-centered devotion. Stephen outlines practical expressions of love in marriage, including understanding, completion rather than competition, courtesy, giving rather than receiving, bearing with one another, covering faults, maintaining hope, and unwavering faithfulness. He concludes with a prayer, asking for God's blessing on marriages, that they may reflect the eternal union of Christ and His Church.
Outline of Main Points
- Introduction to the concept of love in marriage
- Roles of husbands and wives according to Ephesians 5
- The transformative nature of love
- Illustration from the Song of Songs
- Practical expressions of love in marriage:
- Understanding
- Completion, not competition
- Courtesy
- Giving, not getting
- Bearing with one another
- Covering faults
- Maintaining hope
- Faithfulness
- Conclusion and prayer for marriages
21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. 22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
